Disney Channel kids will always remember their first ‘leading man’ and for many 2000s viewers, the antagonistic lead actor in Sonny with a Chance was the definitive face of their tween obsession. Dedicated ‘Channy’ fans waited for the moment Sterling Knight’s rivalry with Demi Lovato’s Sonny turned into something sweeter, setting up a direct pipeline to bookshelves full of enemies-to-lovers romance.
But what’s the star been up to since he was a regular fixture on our screens? From Hannah Montana to an award-winning drama in 2022, we’re looking into the star’s early career, recent work and, of course, time as Chad Dylan Cooper.
© Disney Channel via Getty ImagesChad Dylan Cooper will be a familiar name for those who grew up rooting for the rivals’ pairing
Sonny with a Chance
Kids who grew up with the House of Mouse will of course remember the adventures of Demi Lovato in Sonny with a Chance and might well recall her rival Chad Dylan Cooper, who crops up in 47 episodes of the show. Sterling brought the young celeb to life between 2009-2011 and it became one of his definitive roles throughout his career. Star of the So Random! rival show MacKenzie Falls, Sonny quickly gets over her initial intimidation and the pair are locked in a battle of wits throughout the show.
© Disney Channel via Getty ImagesFiction and reality met head on as MacKenzie Falls ran for a limited series
‘So Random!’ and ‘MacKenzie Falls’
This screen isn’t big enough for two hit teen shows! So Random! and MacKenzie Falls were regularly at odds, with Sterling cast as the likeable, yet arrogant star of show-within-a-show MacKenzie Falls. But love can cross any divide and Chad Dylan Cooper soon starts falling for Sonny, the latest member of So Random!. Playing up the ongoing feud, Disney released a few episodes of show-within-a-show MacKenzie Falls in 2009.
© WireImageSterling has enjoyed life after stardom, sharing regular snippets from his travels via Instagram
Where is he now?
Sterling regularly posts updates of his life and travels on Instagram, travelling across Thailand and Japan. After his run on Melissa & Joey, the actor appeared on series like Crowded (2016) and In the Rough (2017), as well as features like Landmine Goes Click (2015), Different Flowers (2017) and The Man from Earth: Holocene (2017). His most recent project was a role in 2022’s It Snows All the Time and he released a cameo page for fan-requested messages in 2018.
© Getty Images for SBIFFSterling has kept quiet on details around his personal life
Personal life
Like his Starstruck character Christopher Wilde, Sterling has kept details about his personal life largely private. His most publicised relationship was with actress Ayla Kell, the couple were dating in November 2014 after meeting on the set of Melissa & Joey. Four years later, in October 2018, they announced their engagement. The stars split up the following year.
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